Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-09-24
CORRESPONDENCE
BUNKER HILL.

parallel. The hand of disease too
has grasped some of our most promi-
nent citizens, so that it may be said
that the horizon of happiness among
us does not present such appearance
as we would want. However we
must not complain, we must be
thankful for peace and plenty of the
! fruits of the earth. On Wednesday
last we visited the Morgan's Grove
exhibition. 1t affords a delightful
drive from Bunker Hill to that
place, through fertile undulating
country. On our route we passed
the historic grounds of Leetown,
where at one time the eccentric Gen.
Lee, of Revolutionary memory, re-
sided and where his last remains
now repose, also not far from this
place, the celebrated Gen. Darke, of
Revolutionary times, lived and pass
ed away, and also not far from
here Alexander Stephens, belonging
TO the same category of men, lived
and died. In passing through this
fine country, one cannot help but
throw the mind back to the times
hat tried mems souls, to the time
when these men were fighting for the
liberties that we now enjoy, and how
ian we look back to those times
Without feeling of gratitude, to-
wards such men. When we arrived
{ Morgan's Grove, we found a large
nd respectable assemblage of peo-
lie. The exhibition of stock was
air, the exhibition of farming i'm
dement's being ofthe most improved
rider of the day, and Of the latest
INVENTIONS of the times, the ladies
apartment well represented and al
bgether did much credit to those
ersons engaged in it. Senator
emma, of the Kanawha valley, adj
ressed the crowd at some length,
ut did not pretend to give the far
[ers of this section instructions
pout farming or tilling the soil as
said that he was coal digger and
new nothing about the principles of
triculture. The topic of his sub
ct was about the condition of the
nsiness affairs of our country at the
fesent time. He seemed to be
boxing about for a cause for all OF
bur financial distress. He said that
he decentralization in business COM
nenced at Washington after the war,
he granting of untold millions Of
ores of lands to railroad corpora
ions, the wasteful and lavish expen-
iture Of public money, by the Gen
raj Government, afterward the eff
'ect of corporations upon the people;
10 all of these the Hon. Senator as
Eribed as causes for the general stag
hation of our business affairs. But
according to the views of an humble
Individual like myself the Hon. Sena
or did not go far enough to explain
he causes of the hard times. Since
he war, many thousand farms have
been added to the farms OF the Unit
ed States. The far distant west has
been settled, far, far in the wilder
hess wilds where was nothing but In
liam hunting grounds, is now peopled
by enterprising people, making farms,
Faising grain and founding towns
Ind cities. These farms being in the
Eirgin state, vast fields of waving
krain now stand where not long ago,
Stood the forest tree, adding thous-
ands and millions of bushels of
wheat to the granary of the world,
hence the cereals of the earth being
louble and treble to that of former
lines. Our grain has amounted to
surplus in the market, and the value
bf it exceeded, besides, within the last
ew years the government of Great
Britain has thought proper to change
he agricultural pursuits of the peo-
Die by the East Indies from the spon-
5aneous growth of figs and pome-
= ranates to the growth of wheat, all
Euch causes then tending to increase
he quantity of grain and lower its
value. Again our expenses in a
general way far exceed those of our
people thirty five years ago. We
will begin by saying that the salary
of the President of the United States
lis double the sum that he was paid
at that period of time. Our Con.
gressmen have double their former
Salaries, in fact, all the officials OF
our government are highly paid for
all work done, and indeed it would
seem to us that more work might be
done by fewer number. Our State
and county taxes double, which have
been brought on by bad legislation
both as to our county and State tax
es, really more by our officials at
home, than in our legislatures, be-
cause in our levying and disbursing